


Solicitous Instincts

by asimpleword



Series: The Preposterous Adventures of Puppy!Dean [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cuddling, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Violence, puppy!Dean, tagged teen & up for language and mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5820478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asimpleword/pseuds/asimpleword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean would tear the black dog apart before it ever touched Cas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solicitous Instincts

"Dammit!" Dean growls, quite literally, slamming the heel of his palm into the steering wheel of the Impala as it sputters to a stop. Sam sighs and looks out the window at the inky dark of the woods next to the road. The hood of the Impala lifts, and Dean disappears behind it. He figures that Dean can handle it by himself, and slouches from where he'd been tensed in his seat. He watches the bouncing of two fireflies out his window, fingers drumming on the dash of the car. Wind ripples harshly through the foliage and there's the sound of cracking, groaning tree limbs and - _oh shit_. He realizes with a jolt that those aren't fireflies, and it's not the wind causing the bushes to shake.

"Dean!"

He hears Cas's apprehensive "What is it?" as he clambers out of the car as fast as he can. He barely makes it out before there's a loud snarl and Dean grunts noisily. The thing tackles him hard, sending both of them to the ground and ripping the air out of Dean's lungs. Pain laces like knives through the back of his skull when it smacks onto the concrete; he can barely breathe, but he's managing to hold the thing at bay with an arm at its throat. It's - _Jesus_ _Christ_ \- a massive, blacker than black dog. Its fur is so dark it doesn't even shine in the light from the overhanging moon. It's eyes were a bright, glowing yellow. The teeth snapping dangerously close to Dean's face have to be several inches long, and foul breath billows into his face. He nearly gags at the stench when he hauls the thing off of him.

Dean's got his gun out before he's fully off of the ground. Sam stands at his right shoulder, Cas looking murderous to his left. The thing in front of them gnashes its teeth and another growl reverberates from its deep chest. A long, spiked tail lashes dangerously behind it, striking out at Sam at breakneck speed. It reminds Dean too much of a hellhound, anxiety wells in him and threatens to pool over. They don't even know what the hell this thing is, much less how to take it down. An experimental shot to the shoulder only brings another, now more pissed-off, snarl. But there's a suspicious shine that Dean suspects is blood.

"This is a black dog. I have not seen one for a very long time. They are incredibly durable, but are able to succumb to normal weapons."

The black dog swivels to stare at Cas, growl ratcheting up louder. It takes a step forward and Dean shoots again, this time right to the chest. The gaze it has directed at Cas is unwavering, unsettlingly so. Protectiveness surges through Dean almost overwhelmingly, and he gives an answering growl as he shuffles until he's mostly in front of Cas. His gun never moves from the hound, and his eyes nearly burn a hole into it for even thinking of going after Cas. _Mine, mine, mine_ , he thinks like a chant. He'd tear this dog apart before it ever touched Cas.

Sam pumps his shotgun, and before the thing can blink, he's unloaded a whole round into it. It makes an angry, wounded sound, definitely affected by the bullets now lodged into its body. Still, the thing makes its way to Cas, and Dean's instincts wail in response to the impending danger. He narrows his eyes determinedly and inches his way to further stand in it's way. Teeth snap at him, but he doesn't budge an inch. He's so focused on the front of the animal he forgets it has an equally as hazardous tail until it's swinging around to collide with his side. He grits his teeth as he's shoved out of the way, needle-like spikes sinking into his skin. He hears Sam shout in protest at the similar treatment he receives. The black dog sails over his head towards Cas and panic sends him careening in the same direction, desperate to protect.

Dean yells as he reaches out to seize the whipping tail, ignores the way the barbs bite into his palms and leave them slick with blood in favor of yanking as hard as he can and dragging the animal back. It spins on him, but Dean is already scrabbling to crouch over Cas, who sits up from where he'd been knocked back. He hears Sam reload his shotgun and pointedly aims right at the beast's face, lip curled viciously in a sneer that's decidedly animalistic in its nature. There's the booming of Sam shooting and Dean watches as he hits his mark without missing once. The black dog stumbles several times.

" _Mine._ " Dean snarls as savagely as possible, cocks his gun, and pulls the trigger.

The dog falls over, dead, with a bullet going right through the center of its forehead.

Dean spins on his heels so fast from his crouched position he plops onto his ass next to Cas. The angel doesn't even open his mouth to speak before Dean is winding his arms around him and snuffling into the crook of his neck. When he pulls away, he cradles Cas's face with two bloody, stinging hands and wide eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I believe so." Cas frowns. He curls his fingers around Dean's hands and turns them over to inspect the torn skin. Dean shudders when he feels the pleasant warmth that comes with Cas healing him. Without the adrenaline, he's practically limp in Cas's palms, sapped of energy. A pleased hum escapes him that quickly turns to something more like a whine. The dark gray beanie atop his head is tugged off, and gentle hands run over the twitching ears as if to soothe them. His previously stiff tail wants to wag inside his jeans at the contact. Cas smiles, private and gentle and loving in a way he's reserved only for Dean.

"Thank you for protecting me." He says simply, and though Dean reddens, content washes over him. Sam coughs and shuffles a little to extract their attention from one another, and toes at the dead black dog.

"We should get going. Someone probably heard those gunshots."

"...Right," Dean shoves a hand into his pocket and tosses his keys to Sam, "you drive."

"Okay...?" Sam catches them with ease and quirks an eyebrow in question, to which Dean pointedly ignores him. Rather than climbing into the passenger seat like Sam expects him to, Dean clambers into the back with Cas. He hears Dean's tail thumping happily against the leather, and it warms him to know how happy Cas makes him. Though they spent years skirting around each other and (in Dean's case) hiding their feelings through alcohol and humor, they'd finally gotten their shit together. It was a wonder it had taken them so long, with all the eye-fucking and staring at each other when the other wasn't looking they did. Sam was almost to the point of locking them both in the panic room until they confessed their feelings.

It takes him almost ten minutes before he looks in the rearview mirror to find Dean burrowed as far into Cas as he can manage, one of Cas's arms curled around his shoulder. Dean is completely conked out, and Cas is well on his way, but he's still weaving his fingers through Dean's hair and looking down at him with so much love Sam wonders if it hurts to care for someone so much. He's just about to look away, give them some semblance of privacy, when Cas leans down just enough to press a kiss to one of Dean's ears and smile openly when it twitches. This, Sam thinks, is someone who loves Dean for every part of him; not in spite of the things he's done and who he is, but because of them. Who takes the changes they all go through and rolls with them. If Sam were to imagine anyone good enough to take care of Dean in the ways he deserves, Cas would be it.

He looks back to the road ahead, and smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> I am like seriously liking the puppy!Dean 'verse. It's so much fun?? I'm going to try and post little snippets like these as often as possible because I really love puppy!Dean and just argh. I know the puppy aspect of Dean wasn't necessarily a focus, but part of his fierce protectiveness stems from that c:
> 
> EDIT: Also, if there's anything you'd like to see in this 'verse, please let me know! I'd be happy to maybe give it a try if it interests me!


End file.
